Ye criticized music executives including Lucien Grainge and Universal Music Group for manipulating artist relationships, particularly between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, while expressing frustration over being excluded from Carti's album despite prior collaboration. He voiced concerns about his daughter North West being mentioned in music without his consent, characterizing his custody arrangement with Kim Kardashian as a struggle for influence over his children's public image. The conversation included criticisms of former associates Don C, Virgil Abloh, Matt Williams, Jerry Lorenzo, and Jay-Z, whom Ye accused of betrayal and leveraging proximity to him for career advancement. Throughout the interview, Ye referenced Swastika's, made claims about Jewish influence in entertainment, declared himself "10 times stronger at music than anyone living," compared himself to God, and expressed concern about "hospital threats" rather than death threats, suggesting fears of being institutionalized for his statements.
He also said he ended Frank Ocean's career by making "Moon" off of Donda.
The transcript documents an extensive interview between DJ Akademiks and Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) that spans approximately 73 minutes. The unfiltered conversation covers numerous controversial topics including music industry power dynamics, family disputes, relationship breakdowns with former collaborators, and Ye's perspectives on cultural influence. Throughout the exchange, Ye appears relatively composed yet passionate about expressing his unfiltered views on various industry figures and personal situations. DJ Akademiks later notes he only managed to ask "four to five" questions throughout the entire conversation, characterizing it not as a traditional interview but as a "Kanye West experience."
The interview takes place in what appears to be Ye's office, where he repeatedly emphasizes being in a "calm" state. The environment includes references to a Nintendo Switch, with both participants spending initial moments adjusting camera positioning and discussing the interview setup. Ye mentions having recently experienced online incidents that had left him "exhausted," providing context for his current mindset. The casual setting creates an informal atmosphere for the conversation that follows.
Ye articulates detailed criticisms of music industry hierarchies, specifically targeting executives and entities he believes manipulate artists' careers. He directly references Lucien Grainge and Universal Music Group as orchestrators of industry conflicts, particularly focusing on the publicized tension between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. According to Ye, these industry mechanisms operate through "invisible hands" that control which artists gain prominence.
In the transcript, Ye theorizes about coordination between sports and entertainment executives to manage artist influence: "The people that ran, that run the Super Bowl had to come to people who run the music industry and be like, you guys, you're letting your niggers get out of hand." This theory extends to questioning why "they want a Drake to be out of there" and why "somebody with no hits like Kendrick" would perform at the Super Bowl, implying these decisions reflect systematic control rather than merit-based selection.
A significant portion of the conversation addresses Ye's recent exclusions from high-profile album releases. He expresses particular frustration about being left off Carti's album despite previous studio collaboration, revealing they had discussed a potential mixtape project together. When questioned about why this occurred, Ye states, "We know why they're doing it. We know why. You know why. I know why," suggesting coordinated industry actions against him.
Regarding Travis Scott, Ye claims Scott "took four of my songs from the ranch in Wyoming" and "replaced me with him, or what other people put future scissor on the joints" without explanation. He specifically mentions that the day he recorded "Will's Fall Off," Carti was working on a song with Young Thug and Ty Dolla $ign, noting he was surprised to later learn the album was being released without including their collaboration.
When DJ Akademiks asks if these relationships could be repaired, Ye responds dismissively: "Why would I want to salvage relationships with broke-ass slaves and slave herders?" This statement reflects his broader perspective on industry power dynamics and his positioning as independent from conventional industry structures.
Ye repeatedly centers the conversation on his children, particularly expressing concern about his daughter North West being mentioned in Carti's music. "When my daughter was put on song, that's when I realized that I didn't own their name and likeness," he states, articulating frustration about lacking control over his children's public image despite joint custody arrangements.
"So this white woman and this white family have the control of these highly influential black kids that are half the children of yay. And that's just in everybody's face," Ye says, referring to Kim Kardashian and her family's influence over his children. This culminates in one of the interview's most emphatic declarations when Ye states, "it's war" regarding the struggle for influence over his children's media representation.
Ye acknowledges personal responsibility in his relationship with Kim Kardashian, stating: "That was my fault. I didn't want to have children with this person after the first two months of being with her. But that wasn't God's plan." He expresses disappointment that industry peers failed to support him during family difficulties while expecting him to remain silent about political differences.
The interview contains extensive criticism of former associates including Don C, Virgil Abloh, Matt Williams, and Jerry Lorenzo. Ye suggests these individuals leveraged their proximity to him to secure positions with competitors like Nike and Louis Vuitton. "Four people that worked for me. So that means all four people that worked for me was going into the meetings with me, working on designs for me, then shaking hands of people behind my back," Ye claims.
He recounts hearing that Don C allegedly told another associate, "I'm glad Yee didn't get the [Nike] deal because it wouldn't have gave no one else a chance," interpreting this as evidence of betrayal. Regarding Virgil Abloh specifically, when asked why he would say negative things about someone who had passed away, Ye responds, "I am an evil person," before elaborating that "Virgil is the Jesus of the niggas that worked for me" because "every nigga that worked for me would have rather been me."
Jay-Z receives particular criticism, with Ye stating, "Jay-Z, Beyonce, you ain't helped me when I fucking was having problems with my kids." He references his controversial tweet about Jay-Z, defending it when DJ Akademiks asks if he regrets it.
Ye addresses his wearing of a swastika chain, framing it as deliberately provocative to expose hidden dynamics within the industry. "By doing a swastika chain, it then ruffled some feathers. And then I really saw the comparison of me and Puff with the Diageo and the Adidas situation," he explains, suggesting both faced similar treatment from business partners despite contributing significantly to their success.
Throughout the interview, Ye makes controversial claims about Jewish influence in entertainment, stating they "move in the tunnels" and operate as an "invisible hand." He describes situations where he believes artists are coerced into public denouncements, claiming "they'll threaten people" with consequences like "we're going to take your tours away" or "we're going to drop your artists."
He characterizes himself as "past cancel," suggesting his independence from brand sponsorships allows unfiltered expression that other artists cannot risk. "The whole idea is no matter what, I'm not going to back down," Ye states, framing provocative actions as necessary to reveal industry power dynamics.
Ye repeatedly asserts his musical dominance throughout the interview, declaring himself "10 times stronger at music than anyone living" and claiming superiority "in five territories" including clothing, political stance, social media, expression, and "gravitational pull." He specifically mentions his track "Moon," stating it "basically ended Frank Oceans" competitive output, claiming Ocean "didn't have a song since then."
Regarding his creative process, Ye states, "I'm not strategic. I just lean into what I really feel, and I say my truth, and whatever comes with it, comes with it." He suggests his statements resonate because "people are not allowed to say their truth to the point where they psych themselves out to think it's not true."
When discussing his album "Vultures," Ye claims "no rap album is better than Vultures one last year. Let's go song for song for song. And that's, it only got half of me on it," positioning himself as still creatively dominant despite industry obstacles.
Religious imagery permeates Ye's self-description throughout the interview. "I work on behalf of God," he states at one point, while later declaring, "I'm the closest thing to God on earth. And I act just like how God acts." He elaborates on this comparison, stating, "God is an angry God. God is a jealous God. What are you talking about? I'm the closest thing to God on earth. And I act just like how God acts."
This divine self-comparison extends to his explanation of his treatment of other artists: "So what does God do? Bless. God has used me to bless. John Legend. Boom. Amber Rose. Kim. Travis. Carti." This religious framing provides context for both his claimed influence and his expressed anger toward former collaborators.
Ye details a specific conflict with Jim Jones, describing a situation involving cryptocurrency negotiations. According to Ye, Jim Jones facilitated a meeting between Ye and someone identified as "Mr. Pink" for a cryptocurrency deal, with Jones receiving a substantial payment of $2 million for arranging the meeting. While Ye states he wasn't upset about the financial arrangement, he expresses frustration that Jones later claimed he "didn't know how to make a PDF" when Ye requested documentation of design ideas from young creators in New York.
"You gonna lie to me about a fucking PDF, you faggot ass nigga. After I sat and took the meeting for you, you took the money and I ain't even ask your broke ass for a percentage," Ye states, showing how seemingly minor professional interactions had become significant points of contention in his business relationships.
Toward the interview's conclusion, Ye reflects on the value of public expression, stating "your voice is everything" after experiencing financial loss and family separation. He emphasizes this point dramatically, declaring he would "give up my life before I gave that up [freedom to speak]."
The interview ends with Ye mentioning needing to depart for Japan. In final comments, he expresses concern not about death threats but about "hospital threats," suggesting fears of being institutionalized for his statements. "You know what's worse than a death threat? A hospital threat. That's a real thing... A hospital threat's way worse," Ye states.
DJ Akademiks responds to this concern by mentioning "conservatorship," to which Ye replies, "And, yeah, and take over your money. No. For talking. What? It almost happened before," probably talking about his 2016 hospitalization.
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Kanye West DJ Akademiks Interview March 2025
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Kanye West & DJ Akademiks INTERVIEW (Full Video)🎥 by: DJ Akademiks No Copyright IntendedI am a huge fan of both of them and just wanted to use my platform t...